Love and Alchymy
by Fae Elric
Summary: A collection of RoyEd ficlets spawned from the depths of my yaoi addled brain. [Latest ficlet: People Will Say We're in Love]
1. Name That Tune

**Fae Elric Presents…**

**Name that Tune**

**A/N**: Before I start the fic, is there anyone out there who knows how to say "two" in Russian? Just curious. :)

**Disclaimer:** (sigh) Don't make me hurt you.

------

"What are you listening to?" Roy's question was laced lightly with disgust.

"What?" Ed faked a pout. "What's wrong with it?"

"You can't understand a word they're saying."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"And it sounds like they're strangling cats," Roy declared, turning down his blonde lover's music.

"It does not," Ed told him. "It's just a couple of girls who can sing really high, that's all." He reached his hand out to turn the upbeat, peppy music back to its ear-splitting volume, but Roy's hand shot out and wrapped itself around Ed's slender fingers.

Roy shook his head. "I don't think so, little man," he smirked.

Ed mirrored the smirk seductively. "Now, Roy, we both know that's not true," he chastised, forcing his voice into a deep, throaty purr.

"Hm." Roy tightened his grip around Edward's hand and pulled him closer. He let his free hand wander to the nape of the blonde's neck and promptly begin to undo the plait that restrained the beautiful hair that everyone- men and women alike- was envious of. He leaned his head down to Ed's, mingling their breaths. "You know I can't resist when you do that," he murmured, staring into the aureate eyes before him. His lips were a mere hair's breadth away from Ed's. _So close, yet so far. _Ed deemed this to be too far away and quickly forced his lips upon Roy's. The older of the two wasted no time in deepening the kiss.

After a few moments, Ed pulled back and whispered alluringly against Roy's neck, "I know," sending pleasant shivers down Flame's spine. Ed lightly touched his lips to the skin just above the taller man's collarbone.

"You still can't turn up the volume."

"Dammit."

------

Roy was in a surprisingly bouncy mood the next morning at work. He could be seen walking around with a genuine smile on his face. Instead of grumbling and procrastinating until Hawkeye put a gun to his head, he immediately started on his paperwork.

But the strangest of all was that the Flame Alchemist was… singing.

And it sounded suspiciously like cats being strangled.

After about an hour of this odd behavior, Havoc asked, "With all due respect, sir, what the _hell_ are you singing?"

Roy's entire body froze, his pen poised, ready to finish his cramped signature.

And, after clearing a decent-sized area off his desk, Roy banged his head on his desk repeatedly.

"Dammit, Edward!"

------

**A/N**: hee hee… cute, _non_? I love it when I get a song somebody hates stuck in their head. I figured I should start making up for all the angstiness I wrote. Touka koukan desu yo! By the way, the music I envisioned Ed to be listening to in the beginning is from a Russian group called TATU. They're pretty good; both of the girls have pretty high ranges, which they constantly take advantage of. I sing in the mid- to lower-range, so it doesn't sound so nice when I try to sing along with the high notes. (Thank God for harmonies.) Anyway, go check out their music! "Nas ne Dogonyat" and "Malchik Gey" are my favorites. Both are pretty lively. Argh, that's not the point, just go listen to their music, okay?


	2. The Colonel's Waltz

**Fae Elric Presents…**

**The Colonel's Waltz**

**Disclaimer: **Lessee… I own an FMA key chain, wall scroll, and two DVDs. I borrowed "Broken Angel" from my friend for a bit, but I had to give it back…

* * *

Edward hated military functions almost as much as he hated Envy. And that was saying quite a bit.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" he had asked Al earlier.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, Brother," was the response. "You go out and have fun on your own for once."

Ed snorted. Fun. Right. Wearing a damn tuxedo was supposed to be fun? And what was up with the ballroom dancing? Nothing about that had been mentioned on the invitation! Surely nobody expected the great Fullmetal Alchemist to _dance_, did they?

He tugged on his collar. _Dammit, it's hot in here. _He sighed. _This is gonna be one hell of a long night, _he told himself.

-----

Roy wasn't exactly the time of his life, either. Paperwork was bad enough, but being forced to entertain stuffy old captains and generals with stories of his valor in Ishbal was too much for him to handle. It was bad enough that he had to relive the damn thing nearly every night, but to openly receive praise for what he had done… that was something else entirely.

He smiled politely and made some excuse about needing to ask a subordinate for details on a recent mission. He slipped through the crowd like a wisp of smoke, gracefully avoiding the gazes of those around him. He ignored them and they ignored him. Perfect.

That is, until, a glint of gold caught his eye. He looked up.

There stood Edward, all dolled-up in an expensive tux but looking as if he wanted nothing more than to be wearing his red overcoat, standing next to his seven-foot-tall brother. He had even abandoned his usual braid in favor of a ponytail that sat on the nape of his neck. Everything about his posture screamed, "Rebellious Teenager." It was evident in the way he had shoved his hands in his pockets, the way his shoulders slouched, the way that scowl seemed as if it would never fade.

Roy allowed himself a small smile. It was moments like this that reminded him that Edward was still caught between a child and an adult.

And it was these moments that Roy fully remembered just how beautiful the aureate boy could be.

Maybe it was the way the light glinted off his fair hair. Maybe it was the way his eyes could speak in a way that no one else could. Or maybe, just maybe, the reason he seemed so beautiful to Roy was that he loved him.

That's right. Though he didn't quite know why, Roy couldn't deny the fact that he loved Edward.

Wiping the smile off his face, he said, "Fullmetal. I didn't expect to see you here."

Edward merely shrugged. "Right, and you wouldn't have been able to see me if that four-year-old hadn't moved just then, is that it?"

Roy placed a hand to his chest in mock anguish. "You wound me. I come only to say hello and you accuse me of calling you short."

Ed lifted a golden eyebrow. "What, no smirk?"

"Not this time, Fullmetal. Can't make any promises about tomorrow, but I can offer a truce, tonight being a special occasion and all."

Fullmetal acknowledged his offer with a curt nod. "Very well, then."

It must have been a trick of the light, but Edward could've sworn that at that moment, Roy Mustang was positively the most handsome man in all of Amestris-- no, in all the world. Those charcoal eyes framed by ebony hair made the Flame Colonel look exotically enticing. He felt the temperature rise a few degrees. _Dammit, am I the only one who knows how hot it is in here? _

Roy was tempted to reach out and tenderly stroke the blonde's cheek, but he restrained himself. The threat of being kicked by an automail leg was quite enough incentive for that, thank you very much. Instead, he settled for asking, "Am I supposed to be flattered by that charming blush of yours, Edward?"

Edward blushed a deeper shade of red and said nothing.

The little smile had returned. "I'll take that to mean 'yes'."

As the harpist began to strike the beginning notes to a waltz, Edward turned and said, "I'm going home now."

The colonel shot out a hand and laid it gently on the teen's shoulder. "Surely not now, I haven't seen you dance once this entire time." Turning Edward to face him, he bowed regally, taking the blonde's left hand in his and brushing a light kiss across the knuckles. "May I?"

Edward had no idea what kind of demon had possessed him at this point, but he made a mental note to thank it later when he had the chance. "Of course, Colonel."

Roy led him out to the middle of the ballroom floor as a solo violinist began to play a soft, haunting melody that wound itself around the two, enveloping them in their own little world.

"You never told me you could waltz, Edward," Roy remarked amusedly.

"One, you never asked. Two… I used to dance with my mom whenever she started to miss my father too much." Ed's eyes shifted their gaze to the floor, no doubt to hide the sadness that would be lingering within their depths.

The colonel's tone instantly sobered. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to bring up those memories."

Fullmetal lifted his gaze once more in that trademark grin that was designed to hide all traces of pain. "Don't worry about it, old man."

"And you insult me once again."

Ed chuckled softly.

The two spent the next few moments in silence, allowing themselves to just _be_. The violinist's song grew to a crescendo as more violins joined the melody. Edward lost himself in the melancholy sound of a bow being drawn across strings. The throaty tones of the lower notes reminded him of the colonel's voice, a melody of its own that he had always enjoyed listening to.

As the soloist slowed his melody and played the final notes, Roy gently turned Edward around and wrapped his long arms around the smaller body. He heard Edward say, "They're all staring at us, you know."

Placing his lips near the aureate one's ear he murmured, "They ought to. After all, I'm with the most beautiful person in Amestris."

Edward turned his head to meet the colonel's eyes; the pools of obsidian revealed only an unidentifiable look. He opened his mouth to speak…

-----

Edward awoke what seemed like an eternity later in a nest of blankets and pillows. He blushed slightly as he recalled the waltz. "Was that all just a dream?" he wondered aloud.

He heard stirring from somewhere behind him. "That wasn't a dream, Edward."

Ed rolled over to see Roy lying beside him. "Are you sure?"

Roy smirked, but only slightly. "Positive. That was very real. As is this," he whispered huskily before capturing the younger alchemist's lips in a none-too-chaste kiss.

* * *

**A/N **I might as well say this now: a lot of my fics are based on music of some sort. This time, the inspiration was a piece called "The Chairman's Waltz" off of the "Memoirs of a Geisha" soundtrack. Go check it out! Your Otaku Dictator Queen commands it!


	3. Nothing to Say

**Nothing to Say**

**A/N **Huh. It's been quite some time, nee? Sorry about that! I got the idea for this fic forever ago, and I finally got around to writing it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer **I don't own Fullmetal, but William Moseley _does_ own my heart. (And if you know who that is, you're my new best friend. Sorta.)

------

They sat on opposite ends of the kitchen table, awkward silence stretching between them as the morning sunlight poured in through the window. Edward crossed his arms over his chest, somewhat frustrated as he stared out the little window. Roy stared into the mug of coffee in his hands. Neither spoke for quite some time.

This had not been the first morning of this sort.

"Edward," Roy said quietly, "say it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

A quiet smile began to tug on Roy's lips. "Because why?"

"There's nothing to say." Ed glared at Roy for the hundredth time in five minutes. "So stop trying."

"I'm only trying to have the truth brought out into the open," Roy stated, looking up at the blonde.

"And I keep telling you that I have nothing to say." He resumed his previous task of staring out the window.

Roy waited a moment before asking, "What about the times you cleaned the house of your own free will?"

"That means nothing."

"'Nothing' my ass, Ed. How about the fact that you, my dear, get up early _every morning_ to make coffee even thought you _loathe _it?"

Ed bristled. "Shut up, Roy."

The raven-haired man smirked. "Or what about--"

"I said, _shut up_!" Ed yelled, leaping to his feet.

"Why should I? Is it because I'm right?"

"No, it's because you're getting on my nerves!"

Roy heaved a melodramatic sigh before slowly standing and moving to the sink to pour out his coffee, which had gone cold long before. "All right, Ed. If you want to live in denial, be my guest."

Ed finally lost his famous temper as Roy calmly walked out of the kitchen. "Roy Thomas Mustang! How many goddamned times do I have to tell you that I'm NOT THE GIRL IN THIS RELATIONSHIP!"

------

**A/N **I love being a writer. It's so… powerful. Anyway, I wrote this in Acting Workshop while I was supposed to be memorizing my monologue. (Shh, don't tell!) It felt like it had been too long since I wrote anything, so I pounded this little number out. I sincerely hoped you liked it! (starts singing "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!" while imagining herself dating William Moseley he's so hot! )


	4. I'm Here Now

**I'm Here Now**

**A/N: **I know there's got to be a bazillion of these kinds of fics where one of them is plagued by nightmares and the other is instantly there to comfort them. Just bear with me, okay? Please? And forgive me if it's not very good; I was pretty tired when I wrote this.

**Disclaimer: ** (#$+ #)#) $!# $ $# (I hope you're happy; all these disclaimers make me angry. But not as angry as parents who challenge dictionaries.)

_------_

_They were staring at him. Mocking him. _You'll never amount to anything, _they said. _You're a good-for-nothing child who thinks he's better than everyone else.

_Edward stared helplessly at the homunculi before him. _No. I'm not a good-for-nothing. I'm a good person, I am, I am. I'm only trying to look out for Al and me.

You're selfish, Edward, _sneered the one called Envy. _We gave you the chance to make a Stone, you remember that? We handed you everything you needed on a golden platter and you spat in our faces.

No! I just… I was only trying to do what I thought was best for me. It didn't feel right, using those prisoners just for my sake.

It wasn't just for your sake, _Lust drawled. _It was for the sake of your brother as well… or did you forget about him?

_Edward couldn't stop the tears as they flowed. They burned paths down his cheek that felt all too real, even in this hellish nightmare he was trapped in. _No. I'd never forget about Al. I just thought that--

That what? _Envy asked. _That everything would go as you wanted it to? The world isn't like that. Life's a bitch. Get used to it.

Edward. _The voice of his mother cut through the homunculi's taunts. _My son, my darling boy… why couldn't you fix me? Did you not love me enough? Why did you abandon me?

No! Mom! Mom, of course I loved you! I still do! The Gate--

That's no excuse, Edward. _Hohenheim of Light's voice joined with Trisha's. _You and I both know that the Gate can be conquered.

_Edward sank to his knees, clutching his head in his hands miserably. _Shut up. _Shut up! Go away!_

Brother? _Al's voice was uncharacteristically harsh and angry. _We've been searching for years and we still haven't any closer to finding a way to restore ourselves. You're not trying hard enough.

Do you know why I left you, Edward? _his father asked. _You weren't good enough. You weren't the perfect son.

Edward. _Edward's breath hitched in his throat when he heard this voice. He lifted his head enough to see the one person outside his family that he had ever loved, and would keep on loving until the day he died._

_Roy._

Do you know why Nina died, Ed? _he asked, cold as ice that no fire could melt. _You weren't doing enough for her. You were lazy and careless.

No. _No! _That's not true! I tried, I promise I tried… _But Edward knew that no matter what he said, the truth was still the same. It was still there._

_He failed._

Roy became dimly aware of a slight shaking coming from behind him. Still half-asleep, he rolled over to find Edward curled up into a tight ball, shaking feverishly. He could see his lips fluttering, saying over and over, "No, no, I tried, I did…"

Flame's eyes shot open as he reached over his golden lover and pulled him close. "Sh, Edward, you're okay. It's all okay. It's only a dream. Just a dream."

Edward's eyes opened and his body relaxed enough to allow him to cling to Roy. "No. No, it's not okay," he said, his voice still thick with tears unshed. He still shook. "I failed."

"Edward, listen to me," Roy said gently, running his fingers through Ed's aureate locks. "You're doing just fine. Nobody blames you for anything. It was only a dream." He knew that his words could do nothing to calm Edward down. Roy himself had experienced many a dream like this. He knew full well that nothing anyone could say would have any effect on him. In the end it was always him that had to say it was only a dream to make it just that.

The Fullmetal's breathing rate slowed slightly as he listened to the deep, soothing voice that was Roy's. His heart didn't beat quite so painfully now. "I-it was only a dream… just a dream…" he repeated, still not quite believing it. He could still hear their voices as clear as they would be if they were standing next to him.

Roy wrapped his arms around Ed and drew him closer, resting his chin on the younger one's head. "You're all right now, Edward," he murmured, "because I'm here now."


	5. Kaze wo Hikimashita

**Kaze wo Hikimashita**

**A/N: **I got the idea for this a couple days ago when my voice started going out on me. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **If you think that I own FMA, you might be a redneck. (starts humming "If You Were Gay" from Avenue Q)

* * *

It wasn't just another day in Central HQ.

It was the most boring day in all the history of the Amestris military.

Colonel Roy Mustang's subordinates were currently lounging around the building, not caring about paperwork or other things that needed to be done. Even Hawkeye had stopped working. It was just that boring.

And except for the familiar smirk etched onto Roy's face, you could swear that everyone was brain-dead from lack of anything interesting.

Edward was doing his damnedest to ignore that smirk. He casually turned to the next page in his latest alchemic textbook. He knew that smirk. It meant trouble.

Knowing that he had Edward's attention, Roy asked, "So, Edward, care to explain the unusual silence?"

Edward glared. _Bastard. _

Roy's smirk only widened. "What's wrong?"

"You know full well--" was all that Edward could get out before his voice…squeaked. He hurriedly clamped his hands to his mouth, slightly embarrassed. He glared like he had never glared before at the Flame.

"Hm? What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I caught a cold," Edward mumbled, careful to speak in a lower pitch so as not to squeak again.

"Oh, really?" Roy's smirk had grown into a malicious smile. "Is that why you sound like a squeaky _little_ mouse?"

Edward's eyes flashed dangerously as he slammed his book shut and stood, walking over to Roy's desk and slamming his palms on the dark mahogany wood. But instead of yelling his brains out, Edward opted for a much quieter route.

He leaned in and fully kissed his commanding officer.

But as soon as Roy succeeded in deepening the kiss, Ed pulled back. He only smirked and walked out of Roy's office, leaving an uncharacteristically stunned Mustang in his wake.

------

The next morning, Roy awoke with a sore throat.

* * *

**A/N: **So yeah. That was me attempting to retaliate at those who mocked me and my squeaky voice. I thought it was gonna be funnier than that, but I guess not. Maybe it got you to grin. That'd be nice. 


	6. Dark and Stormy Night

**Dark and Stormy Night**

**A/N: **I actually wrote this a long time ago, back when I still blushed while writing about Roy and Ed kissing. Now look at me! I've got the cutest RoyEd desktop I could ever ask for! (psst… if you go to www . fullmetal-alchemist . com , under the shounen-ai fanart section in the gallery, you will find this picture. Its title is simply "awwwwww!". …No really, that's what it's called. You might have to look for it a little.) Anyway, this fic got completely destroyed, so my new official muse (that's her over there in the corner) is now kicking me and yelling at me to rewrite it.

**Artemis: **Don't look at me, you're the one whose computer is an asshole.

**A/N: **Thank you for reminding me, Artemis-chan. Don't you have any more deer to hunt?

**Artemis: **…No. Just because I happen to be an exact replica of Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunt, doesn't mean I actually go out and hunt.

**A/N: **That's right, you just kick me whenever I feel lazy.

**Artemis: **I'll do the disclaimer before this gets too out of hand, okay, chibi-chan? The characters in this story do not, in any way, belong to my chiisai friend here.

**A/N: **Chiisai? CHIISAI? CHIISAKUNAI YO!

------

Colonel Mustang had been sent out on a mission two weeks beforehand, and was expected to return later that afternoon. Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery, Breda, Falman, and Edward were currently lounging in his office, waiting for his return.

"I wonder what Colonel is like when he's drunk?" Fuery wondered aloud.

"Eh?" Breda paused, his hand hovering over the bishop he was about to put into play. "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, he's always so stoic and you can never really tell where 'Colonel' ends and 'Roy Mustang' begins," Fuery explained. "I was only wondering what he would be like if he were to let his barriers down, that's all."

"Odd question," Hawkeye mused, casting a glance in Edward's direction.

Edward, who hadn't said a word at all that day, was sitting uncharacteristically quiet on the leather sofa, staring down at his hands. His eyes held a faraway look, as if he weren't completely there. He knew exactly how Mustang could be when he was "drunk"…

------

_It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled and the rain pelted everything in sight. The temperature had dropped to an ungodly degree, and anyone caught outside was one unlucky fellow._

_Edward, however, was curled up comfortably in a plush armchair, reading a new alchemic text next to a roaring fire. He paused in his reading, gazing out the window of the small house allowed to him and Alphonse by his State Alchemist's pension. He was suddenly glad that his younger brother had left for Resembool earlier that day; rain that hard could potentially seep inside his armor and destroy his seal. _

_Edward was about to return to his book when a flash of movement outside the window caught his eye. Warily, he tensed, setting the text down and transmuting his arm into a blade, lest whoever was outside his door was a burglar. But that would pose the question of who would be stupid enough to try and rob the Fullmetal Alchemist…_

_He cautiously stood and crossed the room when he heard three rather harsh knocks on the door. Readying himself to stab whoever was on the other side of the door, he pulled it open to reveal…_

_…a very unkempt Mustang. _

_Edward blinked. "Colonel? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, transmuting his arm back to its original form._

_"Now, now," Mustang chastised. "Izzat any way to respect your superior, Fullmetal?" Half his words were slurred together._

_Edward crinkled his nose in disgust. "Are you drunk?"_

_Mustang swaggered on his feet a fraction before answering, "I swear to drunk, I'm not God!"_

_"Bullshit," Ed said. "How many did you have?"_

_The Flame Colonel counted on his fingers before holding four of them up. "One."_

_Ed sighed, extremely frustrated. "Stupid bastard. You could've passed out on the street and gotten run over by some car, do you know that? Come on, get your ass in here before you freeze or blow some old lady up."_

_Mustang obeyed, clumsily stepping into the small house. His foot caught on the threshold, causing him to fall forward…right onto Edward._

_"Hey!" Ed caught him before he hit the ground, but when he tried to steady himself, his and the colonel's combined weight was too much for him. He fell backwards, dragging the drunken man down with him. A not-so-faint blush spread across his face as he realized that Mustang was lying right on top of him, with his arms and legs trapped by Mustang's longer limbs. "Hey! Get off me!" Dammit! What if someone sees us?_

_Acting as if he hadn't heard (and he probably hadn't), Roy only smiled sleepily and said, "You're cute when you blush, Ed."_

_Ed flushed a deeper shade of red. "Get the hell off me!" He struggled to rise under Roy's weight._

_Unfortunately for him, being on the short end of the spectrum means that when you're pinned under Roy Mustang, there really isn't anything you can do._

_"C-colonel," he stuttered. "Get off!"_

_Still ignoring him, Roy reached out a hand and untied Ed's braid, running his fingers through the flaxen hair. "Now why would I want to do that?" he purred. "I've liked you for so very long…"_

_Edward gasped as he felt warm, soft lips on his own. _What the hell? _he thought. Roy used that opportunity to try to push his way forward, seeking dominance even in his drunken state. Ed struggled momentarily before thinking, _Eh, what the hell_, and kissing Roy back with all he had. _

_There was a tiny part of his brain that said, _Ed, this doesn't seem like a very smart idea,_ but it was quickly shoved aside by a much larger portion that said, _Oh, shove off.

_Ed couldn't help but wonder what power had put this into motion, but he made a mental note to thank it later. Surprisingly enough, when Roy nipped his bottom lip, asking, almost begging, for entrance, he allowed himself to be controlled, something he had never done in his life. He made only a small noise of protest as Roy pulled away, only to begin nibbling and sucking at the tender skin on his neck. As Ed bit down on his lip to stop himself from making any noises indicating how much he was enjoying himself (if Roy couldn't tell by now, though, there was something wrong with him), he thought once more how very glad he was that Al had left earlier that day and wouldn't be returning until two weeks later._

_Roy pulled away to look Edward straight in the eye. "I've always liked you," he slurred. "Maybe even loved…" At this, his eyes slid closed and he nearly collapsed onto Ed's chest._

_Ed blinked disbelievingly as he thought, _He's…asleep. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?

_The pressure on his limbs had lessened and he found that he could move. He kicked the door shut and stood, dragging Roy up with him. Ed slung Roy's arm over his shoulders and pulled him over to the sofa, where he carefully laid him down. He allowed a small smile to grace his lips before turning to return to his armchair and textbook._

_His arm wasn't moving with the rest of his body._

_Edward looked down at his wrist to see Roy clinging tightly to his sleeve. _He's stubborn even in his sleep,_ Ed mused. _But I probably shouldn't.

_As if on cue, Roy's grip tightened._

_Ed worried his bottom lip. _Well… there's probably enough room on there for the both of us… and he's drunk out of his mind. He won't remember any of this anyway. _He pried Roy's fingers off his sleeve, freeing his arm and allowing him to slip inside Flame's arms, pressing close against him. As he carefully, almost hesitantly, wrapped his arms around the older man, he thought, _It's a good thing I'm so… you know what, never mind. _He cut that thought off as he realized that he was about to call himself you-know-what._

_Ed inhaled deeply, taking in the combination of cedar wood smoke and summer rain that was Roy Mustang. Feeling his eyelids grow heavier by the second, he asked, "What if I liked you back, Roy? What would happen then?" He closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after._

_Unbeknownst to him, Roy smirked._

…

_Ed awoke the next morning to find Roy still fast asleep. Mentally thanking his good luck, he slowly unwound his arms from around the colonel, sliding off the sofa silently so as not to wake him. Fullmetal padded over to the armchair and picked up where he left of in his text._

_Unconsciously realizing that the pleasant warmth that had enfolded him was missing, Roy slowly cracked open his eyes, letting them adjust to the sunlight pouring through the nearby window. "Edward?"_

_Being careful to keep a neutral expression, Ed looked up from his book. "You're awake, huh? About time."_

_Roy sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the couch. "How'd I get here? Isn't this your house?"_

_If Ed didn't know any better, he would've sworn that the colonel's voice held a… sly tone. "Yeah, and you decided to show up at my door last night when you were plastered." He glared pointedly at him, as if to say, "Go ahead. You've invaded my home, you might as well call me short while you're at it."_

_Instead, Roy only said, "Oh." He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that." He tried to make himself look like he was innocent, but there was still something odd about his voice. Like he knew something Ed didn't._

_Ed snorted. "Whatever," he said coolly, his voice belying his inner turmoil. _It doesn't seem like he remembers anything about last night, _he thought. _That's good, right?

…Right?

_Sensing Ed's clear discomfort, Roy made a snap decision that he knew at least one of them would hate him for. Hesitantly, he asked, "Edward? About last night…"_

_He watched as Ed's eyes widened a tiny fraction. "If you're wondering about whether or not you blew something up, the answer is no." _Dammit, don't tell me he remembers!

Why? _asked a voice in his mind. _Would that be a bad thing?

Yes!

Why's that?

It just would! _he screamed at the voice._

_"I know I didn't blow anything up, Fullmetal."_

_A blonde eyebrow quirked. "Oh, really? How?" _Dammit, this can't be good!

_"Do you need me to spell it out for you?" _He's going to kill me for this, I know it… but it was well worth it. _"I was completely alert the entire time."_

_Ed's eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion, denial, and anger, his heart beating wildly in his chest. "You liar," he hissed._

_It was Roy's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Don't sound so certain."_

_Flesh and automail fingers tightened around the book in their grasp. "Prove it, then."_

_"'What if I liked you back, Roy? What would happen then?'" he quoted, not missing a beat. "How's that for proof?"_

_Rage instantly replaced all emotions on Ed's features. "Get out," he growled._

_Roy, who had heard tales of just how violent the Fullmetal could be when provoked, was not one to argue. "All right, take it easy. I'm leaving now, see?" He stood and made his way towards the door._

_"Don't patronize me," Ed snapped furiously. "Just get the hell out of my house."_

_Before closing the door behind him, Roy paused. Without knowing why, he turned to the silently fuming blonde and said, "I guess it pays to take four years of drama in high school, huh?" He managed to shut the door before the flying textbook collided with his head. _

_Ed still sat in his armchair, clenching his hands into fists. "That bastard," he whispered, wondering why the hell it felt as though his heart were being ripped to shreds._

------

Now two weeks later, Mustang still had no idea why he said that. Was it just a defense mechanism? A way for him to still feel normal? To assure himself that no matter what happened, he was still Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist?

Or was he afraid? Afraid of letting himself be attracted to Edward Elric, of all people?

A gloved hand reached out turned the doorknob, opening the door to his all-too-familiar office. He was fairly surprised to see his subordinates lounging in his workspace. All of them had become dead silent, almost as if they had been talking about him not two seconds beforehand.

But to say that he was surprised to see Edward there would have been the understatement of the century.

As it were, Roy only raised an eyebrow. "Fullmetal, how nice of you to be here."

Edward said nothing, only fixing him with a glare that would've sent any other man running full-tilt in the opposite direction.

The tension between them was stifling.

"Hey, Fuery," Havoc said, quickly realizing that if they didn't leave, they'd most likely become casualties in an alchemic battle the likes of which had never been seen. "Didn't you say something about a phone not working down in the south wing?"

"O-oh, um, yeah," Fuery stammered. "I should probably go fix that now." He scurried out the door.

"Let me help you with that," Havoc called, following him out.

"Us too!" Breda and Falman nervously edged their way around the colonel and the angry-beyond-words blonde.

Hawkeye only sighed. "I'll be in my office if you need me, sir." She strode out of the room, making sure to shut the door behind her.

As soon as she did, four ears were pressed firmly to said door.

"I'm not going to cover for you four when he finds out," Hawkeye told them. They ignored her, leaving her to walk into her office. She left the door open, instead of closing it like she normally did. _This will be interesting to watch, _she thought.

Alphonse walked around the corner as the four eavesdropping men settled in for what was sure to be a good verbal fight. "Has anyone seen--"

He was quickly silenced by a round of "shhh!" and four pairs of arms grabbing him and pulling him closer to the door. _What in the world…? _poor Al wondered.

Things weren't much better on the other side of the door.

"Mind telling me why you're here?" Roy asked.

"You've got some nerve, trying to boss me around like that," Ed replied, voice eerily calm. "You know, your little show two weeks ago proved that you were more of a bastard than I thought you were."

"What do you want me to do, Ed? Apologize?"

Ed's features hardened into a mask of rage. "No, I want some goddamn answers! Why the hell did you do that?"

"How else was I supposed to get you to lower you guard, Ed?" Flame asked softly, rationally.

Edward paused, anger subsiding for a moment as he realized that if Mustang had told him outright, he wouldn't have been honest to himself like he was that night two weeks ago. "I… I don't know. I don't care. What happened has already happened. I don't care."

Roy chuckled softly to himself. "If there's one thing I learned in those drama classes, it's that if a person doesn't care, then why would they waste their breath trying to convince you of that?"

He could almost see Ed throwing up more barriers and hiding whatever emotions he was feeling even farther down than normal. "Screw you," he snarled. He leapt off the sofa and stomped toward the door.

Roy grabbed Ed and pinned him against the wall, fast as lightning. "I'm not done talking yet. If you didn't care, then why are you still here? Why were you even in here at all? If you didn't care, then why did you let me into your house in the first place?"

Ed felt the same panic from that night two weeks ago clutch at his heart. "Go to hell," he spat.

"I'm dragging you with me, then."

The insult waiting at the tip of Ed's tongue was lost as he once again felt lips pressing against his own. But it ended as soon as it began.

Roy pulled back. "I meant everything I said that night, Ed," he said roughly.

"Every word?" Ed asked, not sure why he felt hopeful.

"Well, maybe not every word." The colonel smirked. "I only took drama for two years, not four."

The Fullmetal rolled his eyes. "You said that the next morning, bastard."

"Huh, so I--" But he was silenced as Ed broke free and wrapped his arms around Roy's neck, pulling him closer to silence him with a fiery kiss.

It was at that very moment that Alphonse and Fuery decided to "awww" simultaneously.

As the men outside the door exchanged "oh, shit" looks, they heard Flame say loudly, "Hey, Edward, shall we give them to the count of ten?"

"Count of ten?" A snort. "Count of two, more like."

They were gone in .016 seconds.

Hawkeye took mental note of their frantic path, running anywhere that was away from Mustang's office. She heard two different pairs of footsteps slide to a stop outside her door not long after. Without looking up, she calmly said, "They're headed for the parade grounds, sir." The two men left, shouting, "Thanks, Hawkeye!"

She smiled softly to herself. _Boys…_

------

**Artemis: **Good. Now go write another chapter for SSDS!

**A/N: **Screw you, I have to go get ready for school… but to my wonderful readers, I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what you thought, okay?


	7. Shakespeare

**Shakespeare**

**A/N: **(gigglesnort) (falls out of chair laughing)

**Artemis: **What, you're still laughing over the--

**A/N: **SHHH! Don't tell them, you'll ruin it! (cracks up laughing again)

**Artemis: **(sigh) Fine then, O Insane Master o' Mine.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own! I would love to, though. Maybe once I rule as the Otaku Dictator Queen…

------

In Amestris, particularly within the military, it was not uncommon to see a superior escort a subordinate or an equal to a social event when some sort of deal was being struck. It was an opportunity to spend as much time as possible "sucking up" to the other.

So, when people saw the Flame and Fullmetal walk into the grand building together, no one batted an eyelash. They only wondered what kind of deal was to be made this time.

Only the two alchemists knew what it really was, even if neither of them would openly admit it.

It was a date.

It was a little known fact that Edward Elric loved theatre. Especially Shakespeare. His themes could, more often than not, be applied to modern-day life and still make sense.

His words, however, made complete nonsense.

For this reason, Edward often ignored the confusing Elizabethan speech and focused solely on the emotions being portrayed.

Until tonight, that is.

"…riding the stang…"

Edward slapped a hand over his mouth, catching the attention of the rather attractive man sitting next to him. Ed was nearly doubled over in his attempts to smother his laughter, shoulders shaking violently.

Roy casually leaned over to whisper somewhat nervously in his ear. "Edward? What are you doing?"

"Nothing," the blonde choked out.

"Then what the hell is so funny?"

Edward took in a deep, shaky breath, calming himself enough to say, "'Riding the stang'." He sat still as a statue for a brief moment before breaking out into peals of silent laughter.

The colonel stared bewilderedly at the shorter alchemist before paling in realization. He leaned back in his seat, rubbing a hand over his face. "Dammit, Edward…"

Riding the stang…

"Stang" as in "Mustang"…

As in _him_.

------

**A/N: **(waves hand in front of her face) Woo, okay, I'm better now. We have to do a translation assignment in my English class before we can start reading The Tragedy of Julius Caesar… and yes, those were my actual thoughts the first time I read that phrase.


	8. Mothers

**Mothers**

**A/N: **This was the challenge issued to me by the lovely Kara (NeoDiji): write a scene where Trisha Elric finds out that Edward is with Roy. So this is my attempt to write something good that wasn't my idea.

**Disclaimer: **Give me a "NO"! Give me an "OWN"! What's that spell? NO OWN!

------

She didn't quite know how long she had been in that place, only that it was everything she could've ever wished for and so much more. Everything was so… grand. That's not to say that everything in sight was gilded. No, each building, each structure, had a rather simple design, but it was its simplicity that made it beautiful. It was just as Pinako had told her for years: sometimes, the most beautiful things in life were the simplest.

She was able to do things that her sickness had prevented her from doing; from taking long walks at sunrise to swimming in the crystal clear river that never quite seemed to run cold. She was free from all burdens, earthly or otherwise.

The woman was disappointed, though, to learn that her long-lost husband was not there. She had only been able to see him through their two sons in recent years. But she would wait, perchance to see him again one day.

When it felt as though she had been in that place for only a day, an angel came to speak with her. He asked her, "Do you wish to see your sons?"

Of course she did. Her sons were her life; they were the ones that brought her joy in those troubled times.

…

They showed her the youngest first.

The mother saw Alphonse, her sweet baby boy, in his mid-twenties. His bronze hair had grown out long and was pulled back in a high ponytail. Oddly enough, he wore fitted black pants and a long-sleeved Xingian-like shirt, despite the summer heat. Slightly puzzled by this, she watched as Alphonse turned from his place on the front porch of the Rockbell home to see a very pregnant Winry step through the door. Warmth and a love like no other instantly filled his eyes as he helped his wife to sit on the porch steps next to him.

Sighing, she laid her head on his shoulder. "I still worry about him, sometimes," she admitted.

Al laughed as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Who, Brother? You shouldn't worry so much. He can take care of himself."

"I know," she said. "But what if… what if he's not happy?"

"Winry," Al chastised gently, "if he wasn't happy, do you think he'd still be living in Central with the love of his life?"

Winry worried her bottom lip. "No, I suppose not," she acquiesced. "He always was very clear about what he liked and didn't like."

They shared a grin as they remembered the bane of Edward's existence: milk.

…

Even though he had been able to convince his wife not to fret, Alphonse's words still filled her with unease. Was Edward living alone? No, that couldn't be it. Alphonse had said that he was living with the love of his life. But the mother had always thought it would be Winry he settled down with, if he were to ever settle down at all.

So if it wasn't Winry, who was it?

…

She watched as her older son walked through the door into his own home. "I'm home," he called, setting down a weather-beaten suitcase. He, too, had grown his hair out and, like Al, had tied it back into a ponytail. He peeled off a brown coat, revealing a vest over a white button-up shirt and dark grey slacks. Edward pulled his hands out of the white gloves he wore, and the woman gasped, shocked by the sight of automail.

"Hello?" Edward called again. "You here, Flame?"

Flame… why did that name sound familiar?

Sighing, frustrated, Ed made his way down the hall. "Mustang? Where are you? Roy!"

Ah, that was it. She remembered meeting a young State Alchemist by the name of Roy Mustang, alias Flame, on a trip to Central once, long ago. Her husband had been working on some alchemic research for the military. Mustang was very polite and charming, she remembered. He'd also had a suave air about him. There was just something about him that she had instantly taken a liking to.

But then she realized that there had been no signs of anyone living in the house but Edward and Roy.

Her son's love… was another man?

This certainly surprised the mother. She had never thought of the possibility of Edward falling for a man. She had simply assumed that he would find a nice woman and live out the rest of his life with her in Resembool. It was just easier.

But two men living together as lovers was not something that was always looked kindly upon. Oftentimes they were the target of hate crimes. Had Edward been harassed like that? Had he been hurt by others? The difficulties he must-- _they_ must have faced together! If they had chosen to keep their relationship a secret, it would've been as hard-- if not harder-- than if they had chosen to be open about it. If they were keeping their love covert, they could never hold hands in public, never let their words stray from a businesslike tone. She knew what it was like to fall in love, and the hardest thing someone could ever do was keep that love secret. It hurt. Could Edward still be content with his life, even with all of its difficulties?

She watched as Edward walked into a study, smiling softly as he found Roy fast asleep in an armchair, book still propped open on his lap. Edward tugged the book from Roy's hands, making sure to mark his place. He lifted his flesh hand and traced his fingertips around the edges of a black eye patch that covered much of the left side of the older man's face, sadness marring his smile. But he soon dropped his hand and crawled into Roy's lap, wrapping his sinewy arms around his waist and nuzzling his neck.

And as the mother watched, she knew that there was no other place her son would rather be.

------

**A/N: **…I really have no idea where that came from. Maybe I'm still in a weird mood from this morning… yeah, that's got to be it. (Lina, you can go ahead and ignore this last part…;) My Acting Workshop class worked with a local policeman to perform a dramatization of a drunk driving accident (which we did this morning). All of the people actually in the thing itself (like the people in the car with the drunk driver and the witnesses) were seniors, seeing as how it was directed at the seniors, who are graduating in a couple of weeks. Anyway, we had two wrecked cars hidden under a tarp, and I was one of the ones who pulled the tarp off the wreck. I was sitting there watching as the dead kid's parents got out of their car and ran up to their son, who was sprawled out on the hood of the car. (He had been riding shotgun, but he forgot to wear his seatbelt, so he was catapulted through the windshield.) Just watching his parents' reactions and seeing one of the people I knew being zipped up in a body bag and put into a hersche was enough to make me bawl my eyes out, even though we had practiced the damn thing a few times already the day before. I really wish I could describe everything, but there's nothing I could write that would ever give it justice…I'm rambling again, aren't I?

**Artemis: **Yup.

**A/N: **…(sigh)… So? How'd I do? (The fic, I mean.)


	9. Rain

**Rain**

**A/N:** This is another challenge fic, this time issued by Lina of BlackMercifulFaerie. I decided to make it post-movie just because I'm a writer and I can do things like that. And because it's post-movie, there will be spoilers everywhere. Just thought I'd give you fair warning.

**Disclaimer:** Dancing space potatoes? YOU BET! (…Or not…)

_I would like to thank **MintPizzaQueen** for being my beta._

------

Roy Mustang did not hate the rain; he had nothing against it. He only disliked the fact that he couldn't make flames when it rained. But he didn't really mind that too much, either. He understood that what his flames destroyed, the rain must also help create. That was how the cycle worked.

The simple truth of the matter was this: Roy Mustang liked rain. Loved it, even. He had many a fond memory of playing outside in a glistening shower. And the downpour outside was calling his name…

He sighed. His current office was a far cry from the one he occupied during his colonelcy. It didn't even have any windows, but that didn't bother him so much. He could still hear the roof being assaulted by thousands of tiny water droplets, and that was enough for him. Mustang set down his pen and closed his one good eye. He had forgotten that lieutenants were required to do paperwork. Not as much as a colonel, but still.

He cautiously glanced around. Colonel Hawkeye was nowhere to be found. Good. Mustang chuckled to himself. She had probably gone to the bathroom. Standing, he noticed that Black Hayate was lying next to the door, both eyes closed. No doubt that Hawkeye had placed him there to keep an eye on Roy.

He tried to tiptoe out the door, so as not to disturb Black Hayate. The dog jumped to its feet and started to growl as the lieutenant passed, only stopping once said officer slipped on his pyrotex gloves and held up his hand in the snapping position.

Roy sighed deeply, contently, when he felt beads of water shower down on him, just like they did when he was little. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking, not caring where he was going but having a good idea where he might end up. All he wanted was to feel the rain, enjoy its cool fluidity.

And when he found himself where he knew he would end up, he saw one of the few things that made him smile.

---

Edward Elric hated the rain. Hated everything about it. The cold, the wet—

—the memories.

They came to him, unwanted: a childlike glee before pressing his hands to an array that would forever change the course of his future; a bloodstain on a wall in front of him; a battle with an Ishballan that almost cost him his little brother, not to mention his life; the pain he felt when he realized that he might never return back to Amestris… or to the only one he had ever loved.

It was the last memory that had brought him the most pain.

Al's voice cut through the haze of memories like a razor. "Brother? Can we go out in the rain?"

Of course, Al wouldn't have any problem with the rain. He had lost his memories in exchange for his body. He was gaining them back, that was for sure, but it was a long, slow process that could take years.

"Sure, Al," Edward said, forcing a smile. "Go grab your coat. I don't want you catching your death out there."

It was strangely peaceful, Ed thought later, watching Al playing in the rain. Though, "playing" wasn't quite the word; it was more like _experiencing_.

He wasn't surprised when he felt strong arms wrap around his waist. Ignoring the rivulets of water that were streaming from his soaking hair, he only wondered what had taken Roy so long. "I worry about him."

"I know you do," Roy told him, resting his chin on the blonde's shoulder. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"I know." The Fullmetal sighed. "It's just… When we were still searching for the Philosopher's Stone, we came across a small town whose mines had stopped producing gold. We met a pair of brothers there who were using our identities in order to finish their father's research. Al never told me why he didn't want to leave Xenotime, but… he talks in his sleep sometimes. It's always about something we did there. He told me, about a week ago, that he remembers a small blonde boy, couldn't have been more than a year younger than him, and a name. Fletcher."

"I see. And now you're worried that if something were to happen between them, there would be too much of an age difference and it wouldn't work out. Might I remind you of the age difference between us?" Roy asked, which earned him a playful jab to the ribs.

"I mean it. Fletcher would be at least twenty by now, and Al's still only fifteen. And anyway, I'm not sure that Fletcher would even remember him."

It was the Flame's turn to sigh. "Ed, you can't protect him forever. He's going to have to experience life eventually, and that includes letting him fall in love, even though you're not sure about it. He trusts you to make your own decisions when it comes to matters of the heart. Now you have to trust him."

Ed was silent for several moments as he watched Alphonse turn his face up, letting the rain wash away his troubles. Then, quietly, he said, "I think… I'll buy a couple of train tickets to Xenotime. Take a little vacation. It'd be nice to check up on those guys, make sure they're not stealing our names again."

Roy only smiled softly, knowing all too well of the Tringhams' past deception.

Edward tipped his head back, letting the memories hit him all at once. But there was one more, one that was dearer to him than any other.

It had been raining the day that he and Alphonse had returned to Amestris… to the only ones they had ever truly loved.

Edward sighed contently as he snuggled closer to Roy.

Maybe the rain wasn't so bad after all.

------

**A/N:** As with the last challenge I did, I have _no_ idea where this came from. It just happened. Before I get any questions about the age difference between Al and Fletcher, I've got it all figured out: Russell was fourteen when we first met the Tringhams, meaning that Fletcher was thirteen. Say that it took another year before Al was returned to his body, meaning that Fletcher was fourteen and Al was ten. Then, while two years passed on our side of the Gate (aging Ed to eighteen), three years passed in Amestris. This meant that Al was thirteen and Fletcher was seventeen. Ed comes back; Al goes back to our world with him. I think that it would've taken another two years on our side (which equals three years in Amestris) for Ed and Al to return home for good. After all that, Al is fifteen, and both Ed and Fletcher are twenty.


	10. Midnight Locket

**Midnight Locket**

**A/N:** So yeah. I got another one. If you're wondering about the odd title, I wanted to make it either "Midnight" or "Locket", but I couldn't decide between them so I chose both. So there.

**Disclaimer: **Nope.

_I would like to thank **Mint Pizza Queen** for being my beta._

------

Edward stared at the oversized locket lying in the palm of his hand. It was quite ornate, but it was not the carvings on the cover that fascinated him. It was the inside. He watched as the miniature gears spun, causing an internal mechanism to pick out a delicate tune.

It played to him a mournful, haunting melody that sang to him of lost love and midnight eyes.

_"I want you to keep this with you," he had been told._

_"I'm not wearing that locket, bastard. Do you want people to think I'm a girl?"_

_His left hand had been taken by the hands of his raven-haired lover, who placed the locket in his palm and closed his fingers over it. "Keep it in your pocket, then."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I want you to be safe. This locket was a gift to my grandmother from my grandfather. He bought it from a gypsy who had cast a spell of protection on it, promising that it would protect whoever owned it. And you know? It worked. She was never hurt. She never got sick, not even so much as a cold. After she died of old age, my grandfather gave it to me and told me to give it to the one I loved to keep them safe. So now I'm giving it to you."_

"What's that?"

Not meeting Heiderich's gaze, he shut the locket, hiding the photo of him and his midnight-eyed lover. "It's a gift from-- from an old friend." He slipped the locket's chain over his neck. The locket hung over his heart, where it would remain for all time.

------

**A/N: **It's Tia Dalma's locket, by the way. Excuse me, "inspired by" Tia Dalma's locket. Don't want to get sued for copyright crap.


	11. Flame Pony

**Flame Pony**

**A/N: **Okay, you'll need to know this, I promise. "Chin" is a Japanese slang term for "penis". So, "Fullchin" would mean… well, I think you get the idea.

**Disclaimer:** Duh, it's not mine. And neither is Ed's charming nickname for Mustang. I give full credit to whoever made it up, even though I don't know who they are.

------

Edward Elric was not a happy camper. Roy Mustang, his lover, had informed him that they would not be able to tell others about their relationship after all, which Edward had actually been looking forward to doing. "It's too risky," Roy said.

He was a fool if he thought that a small word like "risky" would stop the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Said alchemist waited until all of Mustang's subordinates had been assembled in his office to receive new assignments. Smiling brightly (and falsely), he kicked in the door and called, "Hiya, Flame Pony!"

"_What_ did you just call me?" Mustang asked, bewildered.

"You heard me," Ed said, crossing the room to plop down on Roy's desk and cross his legs. "I figured that since you get to call me 'Fullchin' at home, I should get to have a pet name for you."

And that, dear friends, was how the Flame and Fullmetal were outed to the entire military.

------

**A/N:** I realize that I went against my own personal rule to not use Japanese terms, but… I _had_ to.


	12. Fun in the Sun

**Fun in the Sun**

**A/N:** I couldn't help myself. My new adoptive parents have been bringing me with them and my new sisters to all the kite competitions and festivals they go to every year, and it's been really fun. Somewhere along the line I got the idea for this kite!fic, so here it is. And I apologize to all of you who actually fly kites if I get any information wrong; I know only the basics.

**Disclaimer: **I'd sell my soul to own FMA, but I already did a few months ago in order to buy a couple of DVDs.

**Details:** Well, it's an AU, set in our time. It's my first AU, so go easy on me, tear it apart, whatever you want. (Preferably the latter.)

_I would like to thank **Mint Pizza Queen** for being my beta, and **White Butterfly** for giving me all sorts of info on kites, and I feel really guilty for not finding a place in this fic to put it._

------

Three teenagers, a pair of brothers and their life-long friend, walked along the length of sand, each carrying various items of beach-going paraphernalia.

"Somebody remind me why we're doing this," Ed whined.

"Because," Winry sighed, "you've been working too hard lately, and, frankly, I'm surprised that you haven't starved to death yet. Al's told me how hard it is to get you to eat while you're working on equations for your AP-whatever class."

"It's AP Chemistry," Ed grumbled. "And for your information, I happen to take my schoolwork very seriously."

"It's true," Al said, turning to Winry. "I caught him trying to sneak his AP Chem textbook into his suitcase."

"Anyway, you know I don't really like the beach. The sand gets everywhere."

The blonde mastermind behind the trip smacked Ed with the tote bag she was carrying.

"Well, too bad for you. Al and I out-voted you. And besides, bean sprout, what kind of a vacation is going to the largest science museum for two hundred miles around?"

Ed mumbled something about not being smaller than a letter on a page in a book before hefting the parasol he held onto his shoulder. Grinning, Al bounced the beach ball off the back of Ed's head and caught it again before his older brother could slap it out into the surf.

Winry stopped a few moments later, declaring that _this_ spot of sun-soaked sand that was absolutely identical to every other patch of sand was the perfect location. The older Elric jabbed the end of the parasol into the ground, sliding it open to shade Al, who was arranging beach mats around said umbrella.

Wanting a few minutes to himself, Ed kicked off his tennis shoes and started ambling along the water barefoot, letting the water nip playfully at his feet. He let his eyes go unfocused, taking in everything and nothing at the same time. Suddenly, a flash of color caught his eye. Glancing to his left, he spotted a raven-haired man wearing dark green shorts and a hooded beige t-shirt flying a kite, a look of concentration visible on his features.

At least, he thought it was a kite. It was not of the diamond-shaped variety that was common of young children. The kite he saw was shaped like an isosceles triangle, but the legs were curved slightly outward and the underside was arched sharply inward on both sides, with each arch meeting at a point in the middle that hung just above the end of the legs. Each section of fabric on either side of the midpoint cinched at the bottom to create triangle-like wings; the bottoms of each side section gathered into tips that sat farther back from the other three. The man had a handle in each hand, each of which was connected by string to each leg. He tugged on the left handle; the kite banked to the left. Kite-man pulled on the right handle; it flew to the right.

The next thing Ed saw was salt water, and lots of it. He sat up in the shallow waves, coughing and sputtering furiously. "Damn it, Al! What was that for?"

Alphonse was doubled over in laughter from where he stood, his hands on his knees. "Oh, come on, Brother," he laughed, "It's not a trip to the beach unless you go swimming with the fishes!"

Edward only glared. "Just help me up." He accepted Al's hand up, making a mental note to keep an eye out for him that weekend.

"But seriously, Brother," Alphonse said, "I saw you staring at that man over there. He's rather handsome, isn't he?" he asked, sending his older brother a sly look.

The blonde flushed slightly, his cheeks taking on a pinkish tinge. "I was watching him fly his kite," he insisted.

"Sure you were. I know all about your little secret," the younger of them said, poking the other in the arm. "You've never had a girlfriend, after all."

Ed swatted his brother's hand away. "I don't know what kind of crap Winry's been telling you," He pulled the red hair tie off the end of his braid and squeezed the excess water out of his hair before fanning it out across his back so it would dry faster. "But it's not true."

"Is that why you're blushing?"

"Shut up!" Edward yelled, turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Ah-ha, so it's true." Al grinned cheekily. "Go talk to him. You never know what might happen, Brother…"

"It's not true," Ed pouted, wringing out his t-shirt and avoiding Al's eyes. Nevertheless, he squared his shoulders and marched over to the kite-man. Forget Al and his silly ideas.

He padded over to the man, stopping just to the right of him. Now that he was a bit closer, he could see that the kite had patches of red, orange, and yellow, giving the illusion of flames in flight.

"Shouldn't you keep an eye on your friend?"

Edward blinked. "Huh?"

"Your friend over there." The man tilted his head in Al's direction. "I saw him push you into the water. Pretty funny, actually."

_Great_, Ed thought. _He's laughing at me before I even say hello_. He glanced over at his younger brother, who was busy flirting with a pretty brunette girl, her blonde friend looking on jealously. She wasn't the only one either: if Al's goal was to make Winry jealous, he was doing a fine job.

"Oh, him? That's my little brother, Al," Ed explained. "He thought it'd be funny to try and drown me on our first day here."

"Hey, you have to give him credit for trying. My name's Roy, by the way. Roy Mustang."

"I'm Edward Elric. I gotta say, that's a cool kite."

"Thanks. I've always been somewhat of a pyro, so when I saw this one I had to have it. If you don't mind me asking, what brings you out here?" Roy turned his head to the younger man, not wanting to seem completely rude. He noted the way Ed's wet shirt and shorts clung to his lithe body in a way that was _very_ pleasing to the eye. _He's… pretty_, he thought. Though his friends knew him to be a lady-killer, Roy would go for anyone as long as the bait was tempting enough… and Ed was definitely tempting. Intoxicatingly so.

"Oh, y'know." Ed gave a small shrug. "Just taking a break from school."

"School, eh?" Roy tugged on the kite lines, gracefully landing it on the tips of the legs, and the kite rocked back to rest on the two points that were further back. "How old did you say you were?"

"Eighteen," Ed said, which was only a half-lie. He'd only be seventeen for another three months.

"Is that so?" Mustang asked, turning to fully face the blonde. "I'd think you were younger than that, considering your height and all." He smirked.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT THEIR HEIGHT HAS TO BE DETERMINED USING QUANTUM MECHANICS?"

Roy raised a slender eyebrow. "I said nothing of the sort."

Ed scowled. "You were thinking it."

"You shouldn't be so sensitive about your height," the black-haired man said, ruffling Ed's hair. "Hey, you want a quick lesson?" he asked, jerking his thumb towards the kite.

The blonde pondered for a moment. It didn't seem quite that hard. "All right, sure."

Roy passed the handles to him before walking behind him and laying his hands over Ed's smaller ones, pulling him into a sort of half-hug. Ed decided to test his luck by pressing his back against Roy's chest, grinning slightly when no protests were heard. "So, what do you do for a living, anyway?"

"Don't tell anyone, but I'm actually a colonel in the military. My friend Maes is the only one who knows that I like to fly kites in my spare time."

"No kidding," Ed looked over his shoulder at the man behind him. "I thought all military officers were fat and lazy?"

Roy smirked again, obviously pleased with himself. "Only if you want me to be," he said with a wink. "Now, what you want to do is take a step back while pulling hard on the handles. That'll get it up in the air." Ed did as he said, making sure to keep his arms bent as he had seen Roy do. "Good. Keep your arms like that; it'll give you more control. Pull on the left handle, that'll turn it left… great. Now turn it right… you're not half bad at this."

"They tell me I'm a genius," Ed said, only half-joking. All his teachers loved his powerful mind and his ability to learn anything twice as fast as his classmates.

"You mean, you're a nerd."

The blonde scowled.

The scowl didn't last long, however, when he felt a pair of lips against his ear and heard Mustang drawl, "I just so happen to find intelligence attractive," sending a pleasant thrill down his spine.

_Time to make a move, _the younger of them thought. "So, to take it up higher, what do I need to do, Roy?"

"Pull on both handles and walk backwards at the same time," Roy instructed.

"Like this?" Edward did as the man told him, but when he stepped back, he hooked his foot behind Roy's. Mustang fell backwards, unwittingly pulling Edward down on top of him.

"I'm so sorry!" Ed shrieked, letting go of the kite handles and shifting so that his knees were on either side of Roy's waist. "I didn't mean to do that," he lied.

"It's all right." Roy winced. "I think I landed on a rock or something, though. Hang on, let me get up." But Ed had no time to move before Roy flipped them both over, effectively straddling the teen's hips, a hand on each shoulder. "There, that's better, don't you think?" he asked, a slight predatory glint in his eye.

Ed fisted his hands in Roy's shirtfront. He wouldn't have been able to move away even if he wanted to. "That depends on what you're planning on doing."

"Oh, a little from column A, and a little from column B," Mustang purred, kite lesson completely forgotten. He sank lower onto the teen…

Ever…

So…

_Slowly…_

And then…

"ROY! I told Gracia that we'd meet her at the restaurant in half an hour and it'll take us twenty minutes to get there! Stop molesting that poor girl and pack up your stuff!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A GIRL?" Edward roared.

Roy let out a choice string of curses. "Damn it, Maes… He's a great guy and I couldn't ask for a better friend, but _damn it_… if I could snap my fingers and set him on fire I'd do it in a heartbeat." He reluctantly pushed himself off Edward, cursing Maes the whole time. Grabbing Ed's hand and dragging him to his feet, he asked, "So, how long are you staying here?"

"Only for the weekend, unfortunately," Ed told him, brushing the sand off his pants, suddenly too embarrassed to meet Roy's eyes.

"That so? I just might have to come back and give you another kite lesson. If you're up to it, that is."

Upon hearing this, Ed looked up in time to see Roy wink at him. "Of course I'm up for it. Think you can handle me, old man?"

Mustang smirked. "We'll just have to find out, won't we?"

"Roy! Hurry up; we're going to be late!"

"All right, I'm coming!" He turned to Edward. "So, can I expect to see you tomorrow?" Ed nodded; Roy went off to retrieve his kite and trotted over to where Maes was waiting impatiently for him.

Al, who had been keeping an eye on the two, sauntered up to Ed and asked, "Still hate the beach?"

Ed, preoccupied with staring after Roy, only said, "It's the best place in the world."


	13. Sex Personified

**A/N: **Just a little thing I thought up after seeing that pic of Roy where he's got his button-up shirt completely undone. (nosebleed)

_I would like to thank **Mint Pizza Queen** for being my lovely beta._

**Sex Personified**

Edward had not known that Eastern HQ had showers until he came back from a mission about another (false) lead with a very sore back. It seemed his back was not fond of turbulent carriage rides with seats as soft as granite. Hawkeye, being the wonderful woman that she was, suggested a nice long soak in the showers before returning to his dorm room.

He was not the only one who had that idea that night. As he opened the door to the showers, towel in hand, he was greeted with the sight of sex personified.

Roy Mustang stood in the middle of the room, hair still wet from a quick shower. His military-issued pants were low-slung on his hips as he shrugged on his white button-up shirt, giving Ed a view that most women would die to see: damn near perfectly chiseled abs. Ed suddenly felt the room become quite a bit warmer; he blushed furiously as he fought to keep his mouth shut, lest his jaw fall to the floor. The colonel looked up then, seeing Ed turn the color of his trademark coat. He grinned lopsidedly and began looping buttons through their respective holes. "Hey, Fullmetal."

Ed very nearly squeaked before stuttering, "S-sorry!" and running full-tilt out of the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving a slightly confused Roy Mustang in his wake. It wasn't until he reached his room that he allowed himself to breathe. He flopped down on his bed, remembering that unwittingly _delicious_ image.

Sex personified, indeed.


	14. Salvation

**A/N:** Got this little plotbunny off of the puzzles on Gaia. Damn things. XP

_As always, thanks to **Mint Pizza Queen** for being my beta._

**Salvation**

He felt sick. So sick. He had been shaking all day, his head was pounding, and he felt that he would throw up at any second. He thought he would die. But he was able to keep his mask on, that impenetrable barrier. No need to look weak in front of the men.

Foolishly, he declined his normal ride home from Hawkeye, claiming that he only needed fresh air. He stumbled out of the building and into the street, wincing as the cold air hit him like a brick wall. He felt so hot… he was burning alive.

He stopped, resting against a building that he could've sworn had not been there thirty seconds ago. It felt so good to not have to support his weight… He tried to move forward, but only ended up stumbling over his own feet. He waited dumbly for his body to hit the pavement, but it never came. Instead, he found himself caught by smaller hands, one cold, one warm. "Stupid bastard," he heard. "You shouldn't have even gone to work today. Damn, you look like shit." He knew that voice… just not at that moment… and it was dark… "Come on. Let's get you off the streets. You're a menace." And just like that, his arm was slung over the smaller person's shoulders, and it was easier to walk. He didn't know where they were going. He didn't care.

Not long after, he was staggering over the threshold of what seemed to be a military dorm. He was dumped somewhat gently onto a bed, didn't know whose. The other person stalked off, grumbling something about, "Gonna have a _hell_ of a time trying to tell Al why you're here, and in my bed, no less…" He heard the sound of a faucet run.

He remembered now. "Ed…" The faucet stopped. "Why… are you doing this… for me?"

He heard uneven footsteps before part of the mattress sunk as Ed sat next to him. He heard hesitation in the blonde's voice as he said, "Because, bastard… You saved me once. Now it's my turn." A cool rag was carefully placed on his forehead, and he felt a little better for it.

"Thanks… Ed…" he murmured weakly.

Fullmetal snorted softly. "Shut up and sleep."

So he did.


	15. First Snow

**First Snow**

Edward sighed and shoved his hands in his pocket, shuffling his feet along the snow-covered sidewalk. It had only started about two hours beforehand, but it was already a few inches deep. Luckily, there wasn't a wind blowing, which would only serve to freeze everyone down to the very marrow of their bones. The snowflakes themselves were fairly large and wet, and children ran outside trying to catch them in their mouths. Ed tried not to look at them. _Nina…_

He couldn't help but think of the little girl. The last time he had been in Central during a snow was when he and Al were living in Tucker's house. He tried to avoid it, knowing that being there would only bring on the memories, but there was no way around it this year. Mustang had called him in to report, and he knew that avoiding a meeting only made the next one worse.

The blonde was pulled out of his thoughts when Alphonse gently tugged on his sleeve. "We're here, Brother," he said gently, starting to pull him inside the library.

Ed looked up at the building before them, suddenly not wanting to go in. It was warm and dry, that was certain, but for some reason he just wanted to be in the snow. "You go on in, Al," he told his brother. "I wanna walk around for a bit first."

Al turned his eye-lights towards the older of them to protest, but the faraway look in his eyes gave him pause. He was just as fond of Nina as Ed was; being Ed's brother, he also knew that the blonde preferred to be alone when confronted with painful memories. "All right. See you in a while." He gave a small wave as he entered the building, but Ed was already gone.

_It's not fair… she was so young. And then… And then Tucker…_ Ed hunched up his shoulders and pulled his hood up, wanting to block out the rest of the world. The laughter of the children in the streets rang mockingly in his ears. _Shut up._ It wasn't fair that they were playing and she wasn't. _Shut up!_ Did any of them play with her? Or were he and Alphonse her only friends? _Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ He shut his eyes and ran like hell, not caring where he was going.

He ran until his lungs started to burn, aching with the lack of proper oxygen. Catching his breath, he looked around and saw that he was standing alone behind a humongous white building that, while oddly familiar, he couldn't quite put a finger on. But he turned his back on it, walking instead towards a small grouping of trees nearby. Ed cleared away a small patch of grass with his foot and touched his hands together before pressing them to the ground, transmuting a circlet of white flowers, just like the ones he would make for Nina.

"Edward?"

Startled, Ed turned to see the colonel standing a little ways off, hands shoved in his pockets with a scarf wrapped around his neck. "What do you want?" he asked warily.

"Nothing," Mustang shrugged. "I saw you run past as I left, and I figured something must've been up, so…"

Oh, that was it. Looking up at the structure, Ed realized that it was Central HQ. He felt a little dumb for not recognizing it right off the bat, but it wasn't like he was in Central very often anyway. "So what?"

Mustang opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it again and shook his head, sighing a bit. "Never mind." Spotting the crown of flowers Ed had transmuted, he asked, "May I?" Reluctantly, Ed held it out and Mustang gingerly took it in his hands. "It's pretty. Hughes showed me a picture once from when you were staying with Tucker… didn't you used to make these for the girl?"

"Her name was Nina," Ed told him, words coming out a little more vehemently than he had intended and his voice a bit shakier than he would've liked. "Just go." He turned to do just that, but Mustang called out to him, making him stop.

"Ed, wait." The blonde paused, obviously irked at Roy. The man remained unfazed, as that was the norm for the two of them. As he moved towards Ed, he tugged the teen's hood off his head and plucked a flower from the crown, tucking it behind Ed's ear. "You shouldn't be so sad. It's only the first snow of the year," he said, placing the flowers back into Ed's hands. "Sorry," he whispered, almost feeling as if he had intruded upon something he really shouldn't have. Giving Ed a weak smile, he turned and walked away, holding up a hand in a wave good-bye.

As Edward watched him go, he turned the circlet over in his hands, considering it. Slowly, an idea came to life in the back of his mind.

--

Later that night, as Roy was dressing for bed, he heard a knock on his front door. Curious, he opened his door to see who was crazy enough to visit him in the snow, but no one was there. He was about to shut the door and crawl into bed and bury himself under a down comforter, but a set of footprints caught his eye. They were odd; the left footprints were a little deeper than the right. He smiled when he spotted the gift that had been left behind:

A crown of white flowers, lying on top of the snow.


	16. Shiny

**A/N:** Got this little idea from a conversation I had with someone on Gaia. I know she's on here, but I don't remember her pseudonym...

As always, I'd like to thank **Mint Pizza Queen** for being my beta.

(And... it's fairly crackish. XD )

**Warnings:** Implied sex? Maybe? ...Just a little? O.o

* * *

**Shiny**

It wasn't that Edward hated his automail; he knew its value. He understood how much more difficult his life would be without it. It wouldn't have even been possible for him to become a State Alchemist. There was not way he would be where he was without it.

And that included being next to his lover.

So it wasn't that Edward hated his automail; no.

He just hated people staring at it.

And that just so happened to be what Roy was doing.

Ed didn't even have to be facing him to know. He could feel obsidian irises burning holes into his back as he wrung out his wet hair with a towel. Having just got out of the shower, he was clad only in a blank tank top and shorts, automail painfully visible. Perching himself at the edge of their bed, he sat with his back towards the man, brushing his hair to prevent tangles. Try as he might to ignore it, he knew Roy was staring and it _bothered_ him. Edward sighed irritably, hackles raised slightly. "Stop staring, Roy."

"Nothing wrong with looking," came the leisurely reply. Roy had sprawled himself out on his side, head propped up in his hand with a book laid out in front of him. "I like looking."

"You know how much I don't like people staring at my automail," the blonde said softly, thinly-veiled annoyance lacing his words.

"I'm not 'people', I'm your lover," Roy pointed out languidly. "Besides…" He continued speaking, but he was mumbling and Ed had trouble hearing him.

"What was that?" Ed turned his head to glance at Roy, curious.

"I said, 'It's shiny'. I happen to like shiny things," the man muttered, keeping his eyes planted on his book.

A look of surprise flitted across Edward's features as he turned to fully face his colonel. "That's the most absurd thing that's ever come out of your mouth," he said, eyes dancing with laughter.

"So… you're not mad?" The raven-haired man lifted his eyes hopefully. He knew just how much trouble the blonde could be when irate.

The Fullmetal only rolled his eyes upwards to the heavens he didn't believe in. "No, I'm not mad." He set aside his brush and crawled across the bed to give Roy a peck on the lips. Ed grinned as the colonel marked the page in his book and pushed it to the side, pulling the blonde on top of him.

"Good," Roy breathed. "Now, where was it that we left off from last night, hm?"

Edward placed a finger to the corner of his lips in mock contemplation. "I'm not entirely sure. You'll have to remind me."

"Suits me just fine," Roy smirked, moving a hand to Ed's nape and dragged him closer for a searing kiss.

------

The next day, Roy came home to the smell of machine oil permeating the house. "Ed?" he called out uncertainly. "What's going on?" Smelling oil as soon as he got home generally did not bode well.

"Oh, nothing," Ed told him, buffing his right arm with a cotton cloth.

Curious, Roy walked into the living room to see Edward polishing his automail. The blonde grinned slyly and held his arm up so that it caught the light streaming in through the window. "Shiny, huh?"

The man was instantly mesmerized. "Uh-huh," he agreed, eyes fixated on the metal limb with his jaw hanging slightly open.

Edward only grinned more.


	17. Leash and Collar

**Leash and Collar**

**A/N:** My, it's certainly been a while, hasn't it? I was cast in the school musical as a chorus member, and it's made my life quite a bit hectic. I've had this one written for a while now but kinda… forgot… to post it. Forgive a fool? XD

------

No one expected Edward to show up at the Colonel's birthday party. He had been invited, yes, but it was more of a polite gesture than anything. Nobody actually thought he would go. They were shocked even more when it turned out that he had brought a gift for the man, but it wasn't anything they were expecting.

It was a collar.

"For the military's lapdog," Edward explained, smirking all the while.

But instead of responding in anger, as Ed had anticipated him to, Roy's eyes slipped closed as a quiet, knowing smile played on his lips. "Is that so?" he asked. "Thank you, Edward."

Edward was shocked even more when the colonel gave him the matching leash for his birthday.


	18. People Will Say We're in Love

**People Will Say We're in Love**

**A/N: **Being in the musical this year has poisoned me, but in a good way. This was inspired by said musical, but it's not a songfic. I shan't tell you what it's from, though; I wanna see if y'all can guess. XD

A big thank you to Lina, who was my beta this time. :whee:heart:

(And if any of you are interested, I have a link to where you can see this in Russian (it was translated for me by someone on LJ) h t t p // www . diary . ru / FMA-yaoi ?comments & posted 24973567 .)

------

Neither of them really knew how their little tradition started, or why; Ed had arrived on a morning train one day and stopped in to say that, "yes, you bastard, my report is done, thank you _very_ much." He was already there, so he figured he'd stay and deliver his report while Alphonse waited for him at the hotel. Roy was only barely listening, having found the pencil on his desk more interesting, but he heard Ed's stomach grumble loudly and he suddenly found himself blurting out, "Ed, would like to have lunch with me somewhere?"

Ed, surprised that he had been interrupted, blinked, then smiled a little and said, "Okay. As long as you don't try to poison me."

Roy smirked as he stood and walked to the coat rack to grab his trench coat. "Can't make any promises, Fullmetal."

It had been oddly enjoyable. The talk had been loose and fun instead of tense; the bickering had been teasing instead of scathing. Both of them had simply reasoned that it was being in the office that made them both so uptight when it came to the other. Roy was pleasantly surprised to learn that Ed was perfectly capable of a civilized conversation with him, as was Ed to learn that maybe Roy wasn't such a bastard after all.

Not long after, Ed started waiting for Roy outside his office around noon. He'd sit on the corner of Havoc's desk (which wasn't being used anyway) and twiddle his thumbs until Roy strode out of his office, motioning for him, at which point he'd trail along beside the older man. Roy fell into the habit of holding the door open for Ed, even though he'd complain about not being a girl, because Ed was _oh_ so nice to him now and who was he not to reciprocate?

It was Ed who heard about the gossip first.

He had been out buying bread to go with the pasta Al promised he'd make when a couple of women passed by.

"Oh, my, there's the Fullmetal Alchemist," one remarked. "It's not often that you see State Alchemists out and about, is it?"

"Actually," her friend said, "I heard that he and that Colonel Mustang have been spending an awful lot of time together lately."

Ed's ears perked.

"You don't say!" the first one gasped. 

The other woman nodded. "Going out to lunch and such. They say that the colonel has even been holding the door for Fullmetal!" They both giggled conspiratorially.

This gave Ed pause. 

They'd been spending more time together, sure, but it wasn't anything like that. He made it perfectly clear from the get-go that he wasn't a girl. Hell, he even paid for his (three-fourths of the total) bill. And sure, Roy _had_ taken to putting his hand in the small of Ed's back more frequently… and he _did_ tend to place a hand on the colonel's arm every once in a while… but that didn't mean anything. They were just friends, nothing more. There was no way. It was incomprehensible. Impossible.

Right?

"We have a problem," Ed said as he barged into Roy's office, making sure to shut the door behind him. There was no way in hell he'd let Havoc overhear this.

"Oh?" Roy's brows drew together in confusion. He set down his pen. "What about?"

The younger of them gestured between them. "Us. I've heard people talking."

The colonel sighed. "You think people talk about us?"

"I know they do," Ed told him, crossing from the doorway to the couch and settling on the arm closest to the desk. "They're always gossiping about something, and I guess their new favorite topic is us."

Roy couldn't help but smirk. "What, about how you've got some little schoolgirl crush on me?"

Edward barked out a laugh. "You wish. They're saying that you're stuck on me."

At Ed's laugh, the corners of Roy's mouth turned down a bit. He folded his arms across his chest, muttering, "Can't imagine how these ugly rumors start."

"Me neither." Ed shrugged, then grinned a little. "I think I have a way to prove them wrong, though." 

"Oh, do you?" Roy smirked, raising an eyebrow.

The blonde nodded. "One," he held up a finger, "don't hold the door open for me. Two," another finger, "don't put your hand on my back." His cheeks attained a light pink stain as he flushed, and Roy's smirk deepened. "Three," the boy pressed on, lifting another finger, "don't laugh at my jokes too much."

"Who laughs at your jokes?" the older man snorted, and Ed glared at him pointedly. He looked away.

"Don't you dare smile at me like you would at your girlfriends," Ed continued, pointing at him. "People will say we're— we're—"

"People will say we're in love?" Roy finished for him.

"Yes!" Ed blushed a deep red.

The older man made an affirmative noise in the back of his throat before standing and moving to stand in front of Ed. "They might. But remember, _Edward_, that there are two of us being talked about."

"And your point?" Ed asked, glaring up at the man with his blush fading a little but still visible.

"Just keep some of that advice for yourself. Don't wait so eagerly for me," Roy began, leaning against the arm of the couch next to Ed. "Don't walk so close to me." He scooted a little closer to the blonde. "Don't stand in the rain with me." 

"There wasn't anyplace dry to stand," Ed mumbled, looking away.

"Don't put your hand on my arm." Roy glanced over at Ed and knew by the way his shoulders had tensed that he was blushing again. He grinned, feeling pleased with himself. "Don't look so pleased when I hold the door for you, and don't flirt with me in public."

"I do not flirt with you!" Ed protested hotly, turning to face him. "You're the one that flirts."

"Don't look at me like you want me to kiss you," Roy continued softly, reaching out a hand and brushing the back of his knuckles down Ed's bangs.

"Speak for yourself, bastard," Ed muttered, leaning up and firmly pressing his lips to Roy's.

The colonel was grinning as he pulled away. "And certainly don't do that. People will say we're in love, you know." He winked at Ed, who rolled his eyes and stood, walking towards the door.

"I don't suppose this means I could get you to pay for my portion of the bill this time?" Ed asked, only half-joking.

Roy only rolled his eyes and held the office door open for him.


End file.
